Regarding the "A NOVEL CONTEST: The Elevator Pitch" [congrats to HistorySleuth!]

Dude.

Chill.

This isn't the first novel contest on this board, and the accusation of a contest run by the board's mods is - at the very least - rude.

NO ONE who runs this board is out to cheat anyone out of their (worthless, don't'cha know) ideas. In fact, there are entire sections of this board dedicated to helping writers protect themselves.

Like all of the contests I've seen here in the novel section, the purpose is to help writers polish their story/pitch/query/ whatever the focus of the particular contest is.
Kelly Meding (ChaosTitan0 is mod on this board, and I guarantee you she's got more than enough on her plate without mining ideas that may or may not be in her area of interest and may or may not already be under representation by an agent.

As with the other contests there WILL be help and assistance. Once the pitches are posted in the thread... which is kinda the point. Finding out what does and doesn't draw attention.

Seriously, step off.

Yeah, aadams, every member here can and should be able to voice their concerns if they want to without being told to shut up for their trouble. Even if their concerns are unwarrented.

Oh my god, Dorian. Christ almighty.

Really?

And just in case anyone missed the thread in the Novel forum here's the link: http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=170852

Dorian, you obviously have not spent a lot of time at AW. I give you the benefit of the doubt that you're seriously concerned, but to echo jvc, your concerns are unwarranted.

We run contests here fairly often. The intent? To improve our writing. To understand the industry. To build community. The bit of backlash you're seeing here is that community in full force.

If you don't want to participate, don't. You should be wary of scams. But take a couple walks around the block before you set fire to the neighborhood.

That was amazingly bold. Wow!

For the record, I don't want the whole internet to hear my idea in so much detail. The admins? They are awesome. It's the internet that gets me paranoid I do think part of my idea is special and don't care if anyone thinks that's silly.

But you can write a pitch that's more vague. Or don't enter.

Thank you for the contest, y'all!

Rather than jumping the gun, maybe send a PM or email to the mod who'd originally posted the contest? She's more than happy to answer any questions, I'm sure.

What's with the influx of overly-assertive newbs in BWQ? This used to be a happy place filled with happy posters happy to help each other's creative endeavors. I think we need a BT camp, or something.

More like a brig.









Or, you know, hazing.

So because the prizes aren't to your liking, the contest must be a scam?

Is there some other part that smells like an abandoned fish market?

Wow, dude. Just wow.

And I used the word 'dude'. Which shows the 'wow' of this moment.

If we had a Hazing sub-forum, I probably wouldn't ever leave it until the suffocating stench drove me back into daylight, where I would discover my week-old stubble and an irresistible urge to take a chemical shower.

Yikes!

Kelly's book was what hooked me on entering.

eta: Also, people donate items that are used as prizes, so the fact that there's even more than just the bragging rights speaks to the character of this community.

Whoa, whoa, whoa--lemme see if I have this straight, okay?

You think that a professional editor who is also a supermoderator on Absolute Write (which is renowned for its championship of IP rights) has arbitrarily decided to run a scam contest in order to steal someone else's pitches and/or ideas????



Oh my! That's the funniest thing I've heard in about six hours. Let me help you out.

First off, ideas can't be copyrighted. BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ! Wrong answer on that one.

Second off, no one without at least a basic grasp of integrity or IP laws would ever be hoodwinked...erm...nominated to be a moderator on this board. BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ! Wrong answer number two.

Third, and most importantly, after seventeen posts on Absolute Write, you don't have the faintest idea what this board is about or represents. Go check out our Bewares and Backgrounds Check boards or the Share Your Work forums (cause, you know--those naughty moderators might go steal those ideas too) before you come out with such a completely ludicrous and irresponsible accusation against a person and a forum you don't know.

Birol...copping other people's ideas in a fake contest...



Maybe next you'll decide to accuse Mother Theresa of forcing women into brothels, or--oh no, wait! I've got it! The ASPCA of running puppy mills! No..wait...wait...I've got a better one...how about JK ROWLING STOLE YOUR THIRD GRADE TERM PAPER AND TURNED IT INTO HARRY POTTER!

Get real. Do your research. Understand the board and the people you're dealing with. Then go and offer your sincerest apologies to a person who has done nothing more than try to help younger writers improve their craft--one you've accused of plotting to plagiarize. Then do yourself a favor and google "Intellectual property" and study up on it. It will do you a world of good to see exactly how uninformed you are about it.

I'm really easy going, but I must say the OP really, really pissed me off. Arrogance is something we can do without here. One bad apple can ruin everything. Dude you are not a very nice person. Every single person here rocks!!! Gahh!!!!

Whoa! Hold on everybody.

What's this I hear about puppy mills?

Haggis said:

Whoa! Hold on everybody.

What's this I hear about puppy mills?

Click to expand...

The ASPCA runs them.

Geesch. Everyone knows that. *rolls eyes* Well, that and the Hope for Haiti concert proceeds actually went to the Brittany Spears' Single Mothers Fund.

Welcome to the board!

Slushie said:

What's with the influx of overly-assertive newbs in BWQ? This used to be a happy place filled with happy posters happy to help each other's creative endeavors. I think we need a BT camp, or something.

Click to expand...

This is by far not the first time this particular forum member has been overly assertive. It seems to be a consistent pattern.

Libbie said:

This is by far not the first time this particular forum member has been overly assertive. It seems to be a consistent pattern.

Click to expand...

Grunt? Ogah, ogah?

Slushie said:

Grunt? Ogah, ogah?

Click to expand...

No, I really don't think he's a troll. I get the impression that he's a kid who lacks confidence in himself, and makes up for it by being over-the-top snarky and quick to assume the worst about folks. You know, like that's his armor. I could be wrong, though. That's just the impression I get.